This year has both crawled and flown by, but there’s some good news here for you. Thanksgiving arrives next week, which means that it’s time to pre-game the holiday season and either stock up or clear out your queue in anticipation for post-feast family time, or anti-family time, whatever floats your boat. Netflix gets into the spirit with a Christmas movie starring Vanessa Hudgens, and they’ve got plenty of genre fare to binge to your heart’s delight. That includes the live-action version (starring John Cho) of the beloved anime series, Cowboy Bebop. When you’re finished there, maybe you’ll want to catch up on the latest Tiger King season.
Maybe not? In that case Lin-Manuel Miranda’s newest project is launching, there’s an artsy-craftsy special, and a horror series, and a show that’ll make you feel good about plopping your kids’ tushes in front of the TV. In other words, Netflix knows that you need lots of entertainment for the rest of the month, and they’re here to help out.
Here’s everything else coming to (and leaving) the streaming platform this week.
Cowboy Bebop: Season 1 (Netflix series streaming 11/19)
Bounty hunting never looked so stylish, and from the looks of this teaser, Netflix is not messing around with their adaptation of a cult-classic anime property. John Cho stars as Spike Spiegel, who’s in stunt mode alongside Jet Black (Mustafa Shakir), and Faye Valentine (Daniella Pineda) while dodging death and making money. The spirit of the source material appears to be honored with an action-focused, aesthetic punch, and even non-anime fans who adore ultra-stylization (as with Scott Pilgrim and Sin City) should be intrigued. Heck, even the most casual Quentin Tarantino fan should toss this selection into the queue.
tick, tick…BOOM! (Netflix film streaming 11/19)
Hamilton legend Lin-Manuel Miranda’s latest project happens to be his feature film directorial debut, all while adapting Rent creator Jonathan Larson’s autobiographical musical. This tells Jon’s story of being an up-and-coming composer who’s waiting tables while also working toward his artistic dreams, as his community struggles with the AIDs epidemic. The title, of course, refers to the ticking clock that we’ve all got going on about achieving our life’s dreams.
Tiger King: Season 2 (Netflix series streaming 11/18)
This Joe Exotic stuff is still happening, somehow, even though he’s sitting in prison. The big-cat-owner saga keeps unfurling to show fallout from fame while more revelations surface, and that includes motivations and secrets of frenemies that include Jeff Lowe, Tim Stark, Allen Glover, and James Garretson, all while Carole Baskins maneuvers in the background.
The Princess Switch 3 (Netflix film streaming 11/17)
How on earth does Vanessa Hudgens have so much stamina to keep on bringing us the holiday spirit, year after year? This threequel sees Queen Margaret and Princess Stacy team up with another look-alike, and that would be cousin Fiona. She’s got ties to a dashing enigma of a man, and all of that leads to more identity-fudging fun and (of course) some Christmas romance.
Dogs In Space: Season 1 (Netflix series streaming 11/17)
This is not the depressing 1986 film (starring Michael Hutchence) about a tragic group of friends. Rather, this story revolves around genetically enhanced canines who are out there in space and looking for a new Earth to help save humanity. If that search is successful, then the dogs get to be with their owners. If you ask me, the dogs are winning this one.
Blown Away: Christmas (Netflix series streaming 11/19)
If you’re feeling artsy-craftsy but don’t actually want to do the work to be artsy-craftsy, perhaps this trip to the hot shop will appeal to you. Contestants will compete to be the The Best in Holiday Blow, all while working towards cash prizes and (even better) charity donations.
Hellbound: Season 1 (Netflix series streaming 11/19)
Need a little bit of spookiness ahead of Thanksgiving? You’ll want to check out this story about supernatural beings who appear — in very public settings — to almost randomly condemn certain humans into hell. This sparks a new religious movement against the beings, although it’s not certain upon which side this religious faction truly sits. Expect some allegorical happenings to dive into the nature of blind faith amid what truly becomes a living hell for these characters.
Here’s a full list of what’s been added in the last week:
Avail. 11/15
America’s Next Top Model: Season 21
America’s Next Top Model: Season 22
Kuroko’s Basketball: Last Game
Lies and Deceit
Snowbound for Christmas
Survivor: Season 16
Survivor: Season 37
Avail. 11/16
Johnny Test’s Ultimate Meatloaf Quest
StoryBots: Laugh, Learn, Sing
Avail. 11/17
Christmas Flow
Prayers for the Stolen
The Queen of Flow: Season 2
Supergirl: Season 6
Tear Along the Dotted Line
Tiger King 2
Avail. 11/18
Carlos Ballarta: False Prophet
Dogs in Space
Lead Me Home
The Princess Switch 3: Romancing the Star
Avail. 11/19
Blown Away: Christmas
Cowboy Bebop
Dhamaka
Extinct
Hellbound
Love Me Instead
The Mind, Explained: Season 2
Procession
tick, tick…BOOM!
Avail. 11/20
Arcane
New World
Avail. 11/22
Outlaws
Vita & Virginia
And here’s what’s leaving next week, so it’s your last chance:
Leaving 11/17
Naomi and Ely’s No Kiss List
Leaving 11/19
Spy Kids: All the Time in the World
Leaving 11/21
Beverly Hills Ninja
Machete Kills
Leaving 11/26
Broadchurch: Seasons 1-3
Leaving 11/29
Man Down: Seasons 1-4
Leaving 11/30
3 Days to Kill
A Knight’s Tale
American Outlaws
Are You The One: Seasons 1-2
Battlefield Earth
Chef
Clear and Present Danger
Freedom Writers
Glee: Seasons 1-6
The Happytime Murders
Ink Master: Seasons 1-2
Letters to Juliet
The Lincoln Lawyer
Million Dollar Baby
Peppermint
Pineapple Express
Rake: Seasons 1-4
Richard Pryor: Live in Concert
School of Rock
Stargate SG-1: Seasons 1-10
TURN: Washington’s Spies: Seasons 1-4
Waterworld